ASHA Voices

SLPs Meg Lico and Kaitlin Hanley from NYU Langone Health share their story of working with Aaron James, the recipient of what’s being billed as the first ever full-eye and partial-face transplant. They describe how they worked with James to reach his goals, such as eating solid foods with his family. Central to the story is their collaboration and the interdepartmental communication that made succ...

We’re delving into new research addressing the where and the who of hearing loss in the U.S. Principal investigator David Rein, of NORC at the University of Chicago, and audiologist Nick Reed, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discuss the Sound Check project. This research initiative includes new estimates of bilateral hearing loss and an interactive map that presents the data by...

An audiologist and SLP discuss working together to assist patients with mild TBI and tinnitus. At the center of their collaboration is addressing the cognitive load in patients who have both tinnitus and the injury. Find out why and how the duo decided to join together to help these patients, and what they do differently now. Transcript

In this second part of our conversation with SLP and health services researcher Jen Oshita, she expands on strategies people with communication disabilities can use to express themselves and more fully participate in their own health care. Hear why Oshita feels SLPs play a pivotal role in improving health care equity for these patients, and what organizations can do to increase communication acces...

SLP and health services researcher Jen Oshita provides strategies SLPs can share with people with communication disabilities to facilitate effective communication in health care. She discusses how communication access in health care interactions can contribute to health disparities, and she addresses barriers to care related to communication, such as rushed appointments with providers or the use o...

John Hendrickson is a writer and senior editor at The Atlantic where, four years ago, he began to write about stuttering, penning an article about now-President Joe Biden's relationship with speech disfluency.  Hendrickson’s memoir “Life on Delay” is a personal expansion, exploring the author's own life experiences with stuttering. On the podcast, he discusses his book, publicly disclosing he is a...

ASHA Voices is ringing in the new year with a preview of 2024 and some highlights from 2023.

You may have seen our first guests present on cultural awareness, bias, and microaggressions in the supervisory relationship at the 2023 ASHA Convention. SLPs Kyomi Gregory-Martin and Nancy Gauvin join the podcast for a conversation on creating inclusive workplace cultures and what to do if you unintentionally commit a microaggression. Later in the episode, hear a personal story from Iván Campos,...

Audiologist and public health researcher Lauren Dillard takes us on a journey through the ASHA Voices archive to highlight the many places audiology and public health overlap. From mobile clinics, to a history lesson, to an Arizona border town, hear excerpts from past episodes of the podcast curated by affiliates of ASHA Special Interest Group 8, Public Health Audiology.

SLP Joe Duffy, who has spent decades with the Mayo Clinic treating motor speech disorders, shares some of the stories that stick with him—from surprising neurological conditions to functional speech disorders. And, he dissects what we can learn from these memorable patients and the way they spoke.

If clinicians and families aren’t speaking the same language when treating pediatric swallowing disorders, things can get confusing — and dangerous — says today's guest on the podcast. SLP Laura Brooks discusses her work with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative, or IDDSI. The nonprofit has been developing and implementing resources that standardize measurements for thickene...

What some SLPs have considered a “hidden disorder” is receiving attention. Earlier this year, the Department of Education clarified that Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) could be recognized under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. To reflect and expand on this update, DLD advocates Kelly Farquharson, Tiffany Hogan, and Karla McGregor join the podcast to detail the work...

What have we learned from the first year of OTC hearing aids’ availability? A panel of audiologists with distinct perspectives on the devices—informed by their varying professional experiences—discuss uptake, patient satisfaction, and common misconceptions. Plus, hear what our guests hope year two and beyond might hold for these devices.

In this episode, we look at what artificial intelligence (AI) might mean for people with swallowing disorders, as part of our continuing series of conversations about AI's influence on audiology and speech-language pathology. Vanderbilt University’s Cara Donohue shares her experience with this burgeoning technology before discussing implications and practical applications. Hear why she considers t...

From hearing aids to cochlear implants, from tinnitus to speech-in-noise, AI is everywhere. On this episode, professor Fan-Gang Zeng (UC Irvine) discusses where audiologists may see AI show up next, and the promise this technology holds for assessment and treatment.   Zeng’s research focuses on the ways hearing and the brain are linked, like through tinnitus or with cochlear implants. At the 2023...

From the moment a patient approaches their primary care provider about balance problems, the road to recovery can be long and expensive. But audiologist Devin McCaslin (University of Michigan) is working to simplify that path and reduce costs--using artificial intelligence. This technology can help patients receive needed care, and McCaslin discusses how an AI system, which he helped to develop, c...

In his book “Every Waking Moment,” author Christopher Anderson shares in unflinching detail the pain he experienced related to stuttering—both as a young person and into adulthood. But he also recounts how a series of personal decisions and a single business card slowly changed everything, putting him on the road to self-acceptance. Anderson joins the podcast to discuss his life and his book, incl...

Ten years after “Paperboy,” the story of a boy who stutters, resonated with audiences and won the Newbery Medal, its author Vince Vawter joins the podcast to discuss it. In the novel, protagonist "Little Man" takes over a paper route and finds empowerment, gaining confidence in himself and in his ability to communicate. Vawter talks about his own experiences as a person who stutters, and how peopl...

You may have seen a sometimes contentious element of contracts--the non-compete agreement--in the news lately. Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission recommended eliminating these clauses, claiming they decrease competition. Non-compete agreements are used to prohibit employees from leaving one workplace to join or create a competitor. Some employees believe the agreements limit their car...

SLP Kia Noelle Johnson speaks about cultural responsiveness in work with people who stutter and the role of culture in the presentation, assessment, and treatment related to this speech disfluency. It’s a matter Johnson notes is particularly relevant for school-based SLPs. Later in the episode, hear from a future SLP who is creating a space for vulnerable conversations about the experience of bein...

Meet two audiologists who use their clinics on wheels to reach people who have unaddressed hearing loss. From designing their space to finding their clients, these audiologists tell us what it’s like to run a business and serve patients on the road. These conversation were originally published in November 2022.

Guests explore the ways in which conversation can play a role in fighting social isolation for people with aphasia, as well as provide an important way to experience community and connection. First, the hosts of the Brain Friends podcast – Angie Cauthorn, an advocate for people with aphasia, and SLP Seles Gadson. The duo discusses their aphasia-centered podcast and address the critical role of con...

The University of Memphis’ Sarah Warren says studying public health allowed her to reimagine her career as an audiologist and connect her work to larger communities. She shares why and how she is incorporating public health concepts into the education of the next generation of audiologists. Plus, does it feel like you've been hearing more about public health in recent years? Warren explains the re...

SLP Emily Kornman discusses her work as a part of Team Gleason, a nonprofit supporting people with ALS. When ALS erodes someone’s ability to speak, many turn to augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, to find their voice. Kornman discusses her work with AAC devices and voice and message banking. Plus, we’ll hear a first-hand account from a family Kornman assisted with message banking i...

How do society’s expectations of people who stutter affect those speakers’ experiences?   As a person who stutters and as an SLP specializing in stuttering, Chris Constantino of Florida State University discusses how concepts like neurodiversity and the social model of disability can influence and inspire intervention. He shares what these ideas mean to him and how they might look if they’re appli...